1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to method and apparatus for cleaning the components of moving machinery, such as printing press cylinders, and more particularly to a handheld device that permits conventional shop towels to be safely used in cleaning moving cylinders of a press.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The operation of a printing press requires periodic servicing which may be performed during normal production operations. The servicing of printing presses is regulated by the Occupational Safety And Health Administration (OSHA) as set forth in 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910.147, 1910.212, and 1910.219. These regulations apply to printing presses which function under two separate modes of operation. One operational mode occurs when the equipment is used in normal production operations, and the OSHA standards on machine guarding apply. The other mode occurs when the equipment is being serviced and maintained, and the OSHA standard on the control hazardous energy (lockout-tagout) at 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910.147 applies.
The OSHA safety standards for printing presses require safeguarding the machines and equipment to preclude operator injury during normal production operations, that is, when a machine or piece of equipment is being used to perform its intended production function. In addition the OSHA standard for the control for hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) requires the safeguarding of machines and equipment whenever servicing or maintenance is being performed. This safeguarding normally consists of stopping the machine or equipment, isolating it from its energy source(s), locking or tagging out the energy isolating devices, relieving or releasing any stored or residual energy and then verifying that the machine or piece of equipment is safe to work on. All safeguarding activities must be conducted in accordance with procedures developed and documented by the employer for the purpose.
The OSHA safety standards recognize that some minor servicing, that is, servicing which must be conducted frequently, may have to be performed during normal production operations, and a lockout/tagout exception is allowed. The exception is set forth in 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910.147 (a) (2) (ii) and states as follows:
Minor tool changes and adjustments, and other minor servicing activities, which take place during normal production operations, are not covered by this standard if they are routine, repetitive, and integral to the use of the equipment for production, provided that the work is performed using alternative measures which provide the effective protection. PA1 1. Before any minor servicing is performed, the machine must be stopped and its drive control must be on STOP/SAFE position. Servicing and/or maintenance as defined in 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910.147 (b) must not be conducted when the components of the machine are moving. PA1 2. Consistent with the requirements contained in 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910.147 (f) (1) for testing or positioning a machine during servicing, procedures to inch a machine require all operating personnel be positioned so that they are not endangered by the reenergization or start-up of the machine. In addition, all tools or other implements used during the servicing must be positioned so that no hazard is created by operating personnel. On presses attended by more than one operator or when it is possible for other personnel to enter the frame or be obscured from view of the operator, suitable safety alerting signals must be provided. PA1 3. By use of the INCH control, the components of the machine are moved to their desired position. Immediately thereafter the drive control is placed on SAFE by each operator working in a hazardous area before beginning or resuming the minor servicing. PA1 4. Steps 2 and 3 above are repeated as necessary until the minor servicing is completed. PA1 1. Servicing is conducted when the machine or equipment is stopped. PA1 2. Each servicing employee has continuous, exclusive control of the means to start the machine or equipment. PA1 3. Safeguarding is provided to each servicing personnel to prevent exposure from the release of harmful, stored, or residual energy.
In the printing industry it is understood that the term "minor servicing" includes, among others, tasks such as cleaning of certain types of paper jams; minor cleaning, lubricating and adjusting operations; certain plate and blanket changing tasks; and, in some cases, paper webbing and paper roll changing. Generally, "minor servicing" is considered to include those tasks involving operations which can be safely accomplished and where extensive disassembly of equipment is not required.
In order to perform maintenance or servicing, in which an operator bypasses guards which are required by either 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910.212 or 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910.219, or otherwise becomes exposed to the hazards of machine start-up or to the unexpected release of hazardous energy, the OSHA lockout/tagout standards apply. If no such exposure occurs (either because of the methods in which the minor servicing is performed or because special tools, techniques or other protection is used), lockout/tagout is not required provided the operator uses alternative measures which enable an operator minor servicing without being exposed to a hazard. Under no circumstances is an operator ever permitted to place any part of his or her body within a hazardous area, such as the point of operation, while the equipment is running or energized or around power transmission apparatus.
During minor servicing, an operator is considered to have met the requirement for providing the effective alternative protection by the use of special tools or techniques. The effective alternative protection may not include, by themselves, simple pushbuttons, selector switches and other control circuit type devices which lack a control logic, such as an interlocked arrangement which provides a single operator with exclusive control.
One method which offers effective alternative protection is the inch-safe-service technique used for the main drive control. This technique is constant with the use of controls specified in the standard required for web and sheet fed printing presses and binding and finishing equipment respectively for which, as a minimum, a stop/safe/ready function must be available at designated control stations. Limiting some control stations to the "inch" function only is not permitted. Also, the stop/safe/ready switch must not serve as the lockout disconnect when lockout is performed. The essential elements of this procedure are as follows:
When minor servicing is conducted and the use of the STOP/SAFE drive control is the method of safeguarding operating personnel, the controls to make READY, to INCH, and to START the machine must be under the exclusive control of the authorized person(s) who is/are performing the servicing. If there is a likelihood that the START or INCH controls can be inadvertently activated by any operating personnel, including the one performing the minor servicing, it is necessary that the permissive period be immediately canceled by depressing the STOP/SAFE pushbutton, and not wait for the conclusion of the permissive period to conduct the minor servicing. The STOP/SAFE control used for the inch-safe-service procedure shall be designed and installed to preclude energization or start-up of the equipment by any other control until all SAFE's are canceled.
When more than one individual performs a particular servicing or maintenance operation on a machine or equipment, the servicing or maintenance generally is not considered minor in nature and the machine or equipment must be locked out or tagged out in accordance with 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910.147. However, if two or more operating personnel perform separate servicing operations on a machine or equipment at the same time, the combined servicing operation may be considered minor servicing only when each separate servicing operation is routine, repetitive, and integral to normal production operations and when alternative effective protection is provided for the servicing personnel. Alternative effective protection means:
It is consistent with OSHA standards for printing presses that minor servicing operations that include clearing certain types of paper jams; minor cleaning, lubricating and adjusting operations; certain blanket and blanket-changing tasks; and in some cases, paper webbing and paper roll changing can be accomplished using the inch-safe-service-method, where the safety practice inherent under conditions of normal production operations prevail.
The cleaning of the blanket cylinder of a printing press must comply with the OSHA standard for lockout/tagout (29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910.147) or the machine guarding standards in Sub-part O of 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910. The standards for "blanket cleaning" activities require that blanket cleaning be performed only on the cut-running sides of the rolls. Rigid finger guards are required so that fingers will be prevented from being drawn into any in-going nip points or otherwise be injured. Mechanical transmission components can not be exposed in the area where "blanket washing" is performed. Live electrical parts cannot be exposed in the area where "blanket washing" is performed. Any tools that are used to clean a blanket cylinder cannot be forced away or thrown back from the blanket cylinder when an operator is using it for "blanket cleaning" activities. Cleaning tools must be designed so that no part of the operator's body can be trapped between the tool and the moving machinery. Rags used to clean the cylinder cannot be drawn into the moving machinery. An operator can not wear any clothing or jewelry or wear their hair in a manner that can be drawn into the moving machinery.
It has been the conventional practice to clean press cylinders with a shop towel wetted with a cleaning solution. The cylinders are wiped clean with the wet towel and thereafter wiped dry with a separate clean towel. Cleaning and drying press cylinders by hand require the application of the OSHA lockout/tagout standards in which the cylinders can out be rotating as they are cleaned and the operator is protected from exposure to the hazards of machine start-up or to the unexpected release of hazardous energy. However, as pointed out above when special tools or other techniques are used the lockout/tagout procedures are not required for performing minor servicing, and in such instances the press operator can safely clean the rotating parts while the press is operating in the "inch" function.
There is need for a device that will permit a machine operator to safely clean press cylinders operating at a controlled speed for servicing, for example at crawl or inch speed, and other moving machine components in compliance with OSHA standards using conventional cleaning materials, such as reusable shop towels and cleaning solutions. While automatic blanket washers are known they are very expensive, and in many instances it is preferred to use conventional cleaning materials. However, as pointed out above conventional cleaning materials cannot be used unless the cylinders are operated under the lockout/tagout procedures. Therefore, there is need for a handheld device that permits the use of conventional shop towels and cleaning solutions for servicing moving parts of a printing press operating at a controlled speed for servicing which speed is less than production speed. The cleaning operation should be performed without requiring that the press operation be interrupted.
With the advent of "wipe-on" and "presensitized" lithographic printing plates, it is known to use handheld chemical applicators composed of a handle and sponge to prepare plates for imaging. Chemical applicators of this type are suited for plate preparation but not for cleaning rotating press components. The sponge applicator cannot adequately remove inks, varnishes, coatings, and other production materials from the press components or dry the components.
Handheld devices for supporting cleaning, scouring, and polishing pads are well know in the art. Generally these devices include a handle portion connected to a body portion having a planar surface that receives in clamping engagement by fastening means and the like a plate or retaining member for supporting cleaning, scouring, or polishing material. The material is wrapped around the retaining member and when the retaining member is secured by the fastening means to the body the material is clamped between the opposed surfaces of the retainer and the body portion to securely hold it in place. Once the material is consumed in use it is replaced by disconnecting the retainer from the handle and new material is installed.
Examples of known handheld cleaning and polishing devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 804,794; 1,118,546; 2,203,728; 2,156,494; 2,456,782; 2,472,403; British Patent No. 531,282 and French Patent No. 1,023,787. With each of these devices the material used for cleaning, scouring, or polishing is a fabric material selected from cloth, steel wool, resilient pad, or metallic mesh.
It is also known, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,146, to use a handheld applicator for applying an etch solution to lithographic printing plates. A tricot-knitted fabric is supported by a foam rubber backing member retained in a casing. The fabric is wrapped about the foam rubber backing material. The backing material is connected to the casing to clamp the fabric therebetween and around the exposed surface of the backing material. In use a handle is gripped, and the fabric is dipped in an etch solution where the sponge causes the solution to be soaked up. The applicator is then pressed against the lithographic plate to transfer the etch solution from the fabric to the plate.
While the known handheld cleaning and polishing devices teach the removable connection of cleaning fabric between a base and handle portion, the known devices require that the handle and base be connected by screws or other devices which require tools for their engagement and disengagement or at least hand rotation of the connecting parts to secure the fabric in place. With the known devices the operator's hand is moved from contact with the cleaning or etch solution. In an addition the base or retainer for the fabric material serves as a guard to maintain the operator's hand removed from the surface being treated.
There is need for a handheld device in the cleaning of printing press components that allows the use of conventional shop towels. The use of shop towels to clean printing presses is substantially less expensive than automatic cleaning devices and is still a preferred method for cleaning moving and stationary press components. However, in order to efficiently clean the components of a printing press, it is preferred that the press components remain moving so that the entire press is not shut down during the period when minor servicing is performed.
OSHA standards permit the press to operate in the "inch" function. However for shop towels to be used without requiring lockout/tagout of the press, the towel must be supported on a device that removes the hand from contact with the moving parts. The known handheld devices do not facilitate efficient installation and replacement of the shop towel while meeting the other OSHA requirements allowing moving press components to be cleaned. A handheld cleaning device that meets OSHA standards and at the same time provides maximum efficiency in the cleaning of stationary and moving press components would facilitate press cleaning operations.